Interview scorecard template

How to use this

General information, not legal advice. Check with an employment lawyer in your province.

"I liked them" isn't a reason. A scorecard makes you say why.

Set it up before the first interview. Pick the criteria from the job's actual duties. Write what a 1, 3 and 5 answer looks like. Ask everyone the same core questions. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) suggests all of this, and says to score answers against a guide made in advance and to avoid "fit" and other gut calls (OHRC).

Keep notes on the work. Don't write down anything about age, family, religion, health, origin or other protected grounds. Questions that point to those grounds can break human rights law in Ontario and Manitoba (Ontario Code s. 23(2), Manitoba Code s. 14(4)). If someone brings it up, leave it out of the score. The OHRC says not to weigh that kind of info (OHRC).

Fill it in right after the interview. Hand it in before the debrief so the loudest voice doesn't set the tone.

Keep the scorecards. The OHRC suggests keeping hiring records at least six months, and longer if there's a complaint (OHRC). In Ontario, an employer with 25 or more employees must keep the note it sends after an interview for a public posting for 3 years (ESA s. 15(7.1.1)).

The template

Download .md

Interview scorecard

General information, not legal advice. Score only what the job needs.

Applicant: ________________________

Role: ________________________

Interviewer: ________________________

Date: ________________________

Stage: [Technical / System design / Team / Final]

Accommodation asked for and given: [None / What was given] (Don't score this.)

Rating scale

1 = Does not meet the bar for this role
2 = Below the bar
3 = Meets the bar
4 = Above the bar
5 = Well above the bar

Write what a 1, 3 and 5 answer looks like for each criterion before the first interview. Use the same guide for everyone.

Technical skills

Criterion	1	2	3	4	5
Problem solving: breaks the problem down and reasons it out	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Code quality: readable, tested, well structured	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Knowledge of [your stack]	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
System design: trade-offs, scale, failure	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Testing and quality habits	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Debugging: finds the cause, not just the symptom	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

How they work

Criterion	1	2	3	4	5
Explains their thinking clearly	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Takes feedback and adjusts	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Works through unclear requirements	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
[One more job duty from the posting, for example "Mentors newer engineers"]	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

Overall

☐ Strong yes
☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Strong no

Evidence

What they did well (quote or describe the answer):

Where they fell short (tie it to a criterion above):

Anything else the decision-maker needs (job-related only):

Before you hand this in

☐ Every score has a note that points to something they said or did.
☐ Nothing here is about age, family, religion, health, origin or any other protected ground.
☐ I scored on my own before talking to the other interviewers.

Notes (general information, not legal advice)

Questions that point to a protected ground can break the law. Sources: Ontario Human Rights Code s. 23(2) (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h19), Manitoba Human Rights Code s. 14(4) (https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/h175.php).
Use set questions, a pre-set answer guide and the same process for everyone. Source: OHRC (https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/iv-human-rights-issues-all-stages-employment/5-interviewing-and-making-hiring-decisions).
Ontario employers must tell each person picked for an interview or test that accommodation is available on request. Source: O. Reg. 191/11, s. 23 (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/110191).
Don't use what you learn about an accommodation to judge if they can do the job. Source: Manitoba Human Rights Commission (https://www.manitobahumanrights.ca/education/pdf/guidelines/guideline_hiringconsiderations.pdf).